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F E A T U R E
Intertek www.intertek.com
Intertek As a leading inspection and testing services provider, Intertek has been establishing its presence in South Africa for more than forty years. We spoke to Sales and Marketing Manager Thomas Andrews to find out more about their operations.
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ith a global network of 1,000 laboratories and offices, and over 36,000 people in more than 120 countries, Intertek is the leading quality solutions provider to a huge range of industries worldwide. The company is present in 24 African countries, and is considered the market leader within South Africa, in particular for petrochemical testing and inspection solutions.
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“We're a global company with global structures in place,” explains Andrews. “What we like to highlight is that Intertek sells value quality delivered. It doesn't matter if you're in South Africa, the UK, or Australia – the level of service you get is the same.”
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Speeding up Currently, in Africa, the focus is particularly strong on development of new energy sources, from the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the up-and-coming industries of innovative biofuels. Intertek is assisting companies with working in these challenging environments each step of the way.
“What's important to remember is that the energy industry is based around time”, says Andrews. “Invariably we work with clients who are operating on a just-in-time model and we therefore assisting them with speed to market.” Intertek steps in to provide qualitative and quantitative assessment whenever goods change hands. These assessments take many forms, from inspecting loading and 3
discharge facilities, to carrying out environmental testing, to monitoring the quality and volume of cargo. Intertek is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company with eight laboratories and ten offices in South Africa, their flagship laboratories having received accreditation to ISO 17025. Accreditation for laboratories, in addition to being an
industry requirement, serves as a means for the company to measure its own performance, and allow them to remain experts in conformity assessment solutions and provide clients with the confidence to conduct their business in a global marketplace. “You don't just have a buyer and a seller and a transaction. You have suppliers, you have transporters, you have warehousers,
you have freight forwarders, you have clearing agents. All of these are involved in the transaction,” Andrews continues. “At various points, the custody of the cargo is transferred over to them. And whenever it is transferred from one party to another, there is always a risk. So we act as the impartial third party to evaluate the form, the condition, and the integrity of the consignment. In essence, we try to assist
with reducing the risk.” This need for regulation and risk management is present in any industry in which commodities are traded. When it comes to agriculture in South Africa, biofuels are currently the source of a lot of interest, in particular the vegetable and palm oil being used as feedstock. Intertek works throughout the value chain, from early development and identifying which feedstock to use, through to production,
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Intertek is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company with eight laboratories and ten offices in South Africa, their flagship laboratories having received accreditation to ISO 17025
When it comes to agriculture in South Africa, biofuels are currently the source of a lot of interest, in particular the vegetable and palm oil being used as feedstock. Intertek works throughout the value chain, from early development and identifying which feedstock to use, through to production, batch testing and distribution. 4
Pressures
As a growing business globally, biofuels are used alongside tradition fuels as feedstock for a variety of processes for both heavy industries and the generation of electricity. As the world becomes more environmentally sensitive, governments are becoming increasingly aggressive with their legislations in respect to environmental issues. “From developing biofuels to evaluating your environmental impact, Intertek is at the forefront assisting client with evaluating both products and systems compliance,” explains Andrews. “One of the challenges with biofuel is that it's a new product and in some part it metamorphoses constantly. It's constantly evolving. People are learning more about what feedstock to use, and the advantages and disadvantages of each — so it's coming out, and we have to be there at the forefront. It's a constant learning exercise because new feedstocks are being used — in aviation fuel, in other types of fuels — and you see positive impacts from that, and then in other areas you see challenges,” he continues. “Again, what we have to do is stay current, look at what's happening globally and what the trends are, and try to replicate where there are success stories in respect of testing, and try and introduce those solutions here locally.” Over the next year, Intertek is looking not only to continue with its existing services, but also to improve systems to ensure their services remain at the forefront of quality solutions. Intertek's newly established
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One of the challenges with biofuel is that it's a new product and in some part it metamorphoses constantly. It's constantly evolving. People are learning more about what feedstock to use, and the advantages and disadvantages of each — so it's coming out, and we have to be there at the forefront.
laboratory in Johannesburg will allow their agricultural clients to enjoy the same professional quality experience as is currently enjoyed by the company's petrochemical and petroleum customers. This comes as part of the Intertek Group's recent pushtowards a “One Intertek” strategy, providing a much broader range of services to clients worldwide. With the scope on offer, the potential here is huge. 7
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Intertek Visit our website for locations worldwide: www.intertek.com
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